The Indian Ocean Volitan Lionfish
The Indian Volitan Lionfish (Pterois miles) is a member of the family Scorpaenidae better known as the scorpionfishes! They are a beautifully striped fish with white, brown, and black stripes and spots on the anal, and caudal fins. A common name for some lionfish species is turkey fish – and its easy to see why with the patterning and color scheme! The Volitan Lionfish is almost exactly the same – the only difference between the two species visually being that P. volitans has 11 dorsal fin rays (rays are flexible, unlike the spines) and seven anal fin rays, whereas P. miles only has 10 dorsal fin rays and six anal fin rays.
Distribution and Habitat These fish are found throughout the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf. There are introduced populations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean from accidental or intentional release of pet fish. Due to the similarities between the species P. volitans takes the blame for most of the invasive, but it is a mix of both, highly favoring P. volitans with a much smaller percentage being comprised of P. miles (the Indian Lionfish). Lionfish are adaptable in habitat and can be found in water less than three feet deep or be found deep on reef crests. Lionfish will generally avoid areas of high flow, as it is difficult for them to swim with their large fins through constant current.
Aquarium Requirements An aquarium of at least 120 gallons should be the minimum size considered for the Indian Lionfish. An aquarium with plenty of room for them to swim and turn around without running into structure is best – these fish have large and showy fins which take up a lot more space than just their total length suggests. Caves or overhangs will be appreciated by lionfish and they will hang out in or under these, sometimes in an upside-down orientation! Lionfish are excellent predators, and housing them with any fish or shrimp small enough to fit into their cavernous mouths will most likely result in them being eaten. That said, these fish are not aggressive towards other fish outside of that.
Feeding Lionfish are voracious and will almost certainly learn to eat from your hands after a short period of living in the home aquarium. Food can even be used to train them to do simple tricks! Some people feed lionfish feeder fish, but this can be a vector for disease, or in the case of non-marine feeders, result in long term health issues such as fatty liver disease. Lionfish are not picky, and will accept any form of lean marine protein. Grab some fresh whole protein from the grocery store or frozen whole silversides from your local pet store and you will be on the right track! If they are hesitant to eat non live food, you can spear a sliver of shrimp or silverside onto a long skewer or tongs and wiggle it near their face to emulate the movement of a small fish. This should get them used to associating you with food, and it will be hard to get them away from you at that point!
Breeding The Indian Lionfish has not been bred in captivity, and with large exotic, invasive species near Europe and North America there is little need for aquacultured specimens.
Conclusion Indian Lionfish make a bold addition to any fish only aquarium and are just different enough from your standard Volitan Lionfish to make it a conversation piece. Ask your local fish store to order you a sustainably sourced Indian Lionfish from Quality Marine today!